How to make shortbread recipe variations?

Throughout this experimentation process, more shortbread recipe variations came to mind but there just wasn’t enough time or calories to spare to try them all. That doesn’t mean that some day they won’t be tried. I have included some of the variations that came to mind but didn’t get a chance to be realized. I have included possible ingredients to be added to the Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread recipe, however, none have been tested so I don’t know if it is the best representation of the conjectured shortbread variations. If anyone out there tries one, please let me know how it turns out!

Tea inspired shortbread recipe variations

The first set of shortbread recipe variations I’d like to try are different kinds of tea. Such as English Breakfast, Creme of Early Grey, Lavendar, Oolong teas, White teas, Herbal teas and more. I think 1- 2 tbsp of loose leave tea added to the Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread recipe would be how I would start the variation but I have also recently comely across tea infused butter. This would be another way to incorporate tea into the shortbread. Instead of using just plain butter in the classic shortbread recipe, tea infused butter could be substituted. So for example, if you want to make an English Breakfast shortbread, use English Breakfast tea infused butter instead of regular butter as well as English Breakfast tea leaves. The recipe for tea infused butter than I found and that looks straight forward to me is the one in Tea Infused Shortbread by Feed me with Amanada [2]. I will include the recipe below for easy reference.

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Tea infused butter ingredients

• 1.5 c butter
• 2.5 tbsp tea leaves of your choice (This is a minimum amount. If you want a stronger tea flavour, include more tea leaves.

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Tea infused Butter directions

• Melt butter, but do not let get brown, in a pan on stove over medium to low heat.
• Put tea leaves into melted butter and steep in butter for 5 minutes over low heat.
• Then continue to steep for another 5 minutes over no heat.
• Use a fine strainer to push the butter through squeezing as much of the butter off the tea leaves. This should make approximately 1 c of tea infused butter.

When I started this 12 days of shortbread and shortbread recipe variations I also tried a coffee shortbread whereby I added in 1-2 tbsp of ground coffee into the classic shortbread dough. Unfortunately, the bitterness of the coffee and the grittiness of the coffee grains itself, didn’t make for a pleasant shortbread experience. So that variation got scrapped completely. However, the idea of coffee infused butter may be an option to revisit the coffee variation of shortbread.

Candy Inspired Shortbread Recipe Variations

After the success of the Candy Cane Shortbread and the crushed maple candies in the Maple Bacon Shortbread, the idea of adding candies to shortbread was on my mind. This is where the idea of adding toffee, Skor, caramels, sea salt caramel came to mind. In the case of hard caramels, toffee and Skor I would suggest crushing up anywhere from 1/3 – 1/2 c up of the candy and adding it to the classic shortbread recipe. If the caramels or toffee are of the softer variety, I would just chop up, again 1/3 – 1/2 c, and add it to the classic shortbread recipe and let them melt into the dough while baking, very much like the marshmallows in the S’mores shortbread. Sea salt caramel shortbread would be the caramel shortbread variation with some sea salt added in, say 1-2 tsp, or whatever quantity for the desired taste you want.

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ingredients for candy shortbread

• 1/3-1/2 c crushed candies (e.g. toffee, Skor, caramels)

Spice Inspired shortbread variations

The Chai Shortbread inspired thoughts of other spices and flavours that could be added to the classic shortbread recipe. I came up with carrot cake and pumpkin spice or pumpkin pie.

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Ingredients for carrot cake shortbread

• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp nutmeg
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 c shredded carrots
• 1/4 c cream cheese

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Directions for Carrot cake shortbread

• Cream together ingredients for Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread.
• Add in the above Ingredients for Carrot Cake Shortbread.
• Continue with directions for Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread.

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Ingredients for pumpkin spice

• 3 tbsp cinnamon
• 2 tsp ginger
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1.5 tsp allspice
• 1.5 cloves

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directions for pumpkin pie shortbread

• Cream together Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread ingredients.
• Add in 1-2 tbsp pumpkin spice. Recipe for pumpkin spice is above.
• Continue with directions for Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread recipe.

Savory variations

After trying the Cheddar and Chives shortbread and Paramesan, Rosemary and Thyme shortbread variations the idea of cheese in a shortbread was very intriguing to me. The idea of a savory cookie really appealed to me. Not quite a cracker but not so sweet as a cookie either. I really want to do something with Brie but decided I had no idea what to guess for a herb to go with Brie. Fortunately, someone has created A Guide to Herbs and Cheese  [1]. Here I found a lot of information of cheese and herb pairings all of which I believe can be used in shortbread variations! My thought is about 1/2 c of the cheese grated or chopped depending on the type cheese and 1-3 tbsp of herbs or to taste. Below is a list of cheese and the herbs that are best to pair with them.

Note that thyme, dill and chives go with any cheese. So when you’re stuck, any of these herbs will go with any cheese.

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Ingredients for savory cheese and herb shortbread

• 1/2 c chopped or grated cheese from above table
• 1-2 tsbp herbs from above table to compliment the chosen cheese

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Directions for savory cheese and herb shortbread

• Cream together Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread ingredients.
• Add in chosen cheese then herbs.
• Continue with directions from Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread recipe.

Miscellaneous Shortbread Variations

A few miscellaneous shortbread variations that came to mind were White Chocolate Macadamium nut, Cranberry Pistachio and Poutine. Suggested recipes for these ideas are below.

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iNGREDIENTS FOR WHITE CHOCOLATE MAcaDAmIUM NUT SHORTBREAD

• 1/2 c white chocolate chips
• 1/2 c chopped macadamium nuts

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Directions for white chocolate macadamium nut shortbread

• Cream together Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread.
• Add in white chocolate chips and chopped macadamium nuts.
• Continue with directions for Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread.

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Ingredients for Cranberry pistachio shortbread

• 1/2 c dried cranberries
• 1/2 c crushed pistachios

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directions for cranberry pistachio shortbread

• Cream together for Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread.
• Add in cranberries and pistachios.
• Continue with directions as for cranberry pistachio shortbread.

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Ingredients for poutine shortbread

• 1/2 c chopped cheese curds
• 1/2 c chopped french fries
• 1/4 c gravy

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Directions for poutine shortbread

• Cream together Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread ingredients.
• Fold in cheese curds and french fries.
• Once well mixed, drizzle gravy into dough but do not combine fully.
• Continue with Classic Canada cornstarch shortbread recipe. Note that the dough may be a bit wet due to the gravy. Add flour as needed and instead of rolling out into balls it may be necessary to use a cookie scoop and drop scoops of the dough onto a cookie sheet.

These are just a few of the shortbread recipe variations that started percolating through my head as I made all the others in my 12 Days of Shortbread. There is also a list of those shortbread cookie variations that got honourable mentions and can be found in Shortbread variations that didn’t quite make the cut. I’m sure many more variations will come to mind as I continue to bake and cook but for now, these are top on my must try list. Enjoy!

References:

1. A guide to herbs and cheese, Spices Inc., URL: https://www.spicesinc.com/p-5060.aspx?searchEngineName=a-guide-to-herbs-and-cheese
2. Tea Infused Shortbread, Feed me with Amanda, URL: http://www.feedmewithamanda.com/single-post/2018/04/19/tea-infused-shortbread

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Lani and Norm

I enjoy learning and sharing that knowledge.Sharing has been in many forms over the years, as a teaching assistant, university lecturer, Pilates instructor, math tutor and just sharing with friends and family.Throughout, summarizing what I have learnt in words has always been there and continues to through blog posts, articles, video and the ever growing forms of content out there!

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